


Not Over

by theechosea



Series: Starling Clarity [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gale being paranoid, Gen, Katniss and Peeta being awkward, Pre-Catching Fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-10 22:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3306032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theechosea/pseuds/theechosea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shortly after the end of the 74th games, Peeta and Katniss are readjusting to life back in district 12. Just a little piece that flashed to me last night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Over

We pass in the square near the black market. She must be on her way to a hunt or have just sold a catch given she's not weighed down but she's wearing gear. It's awkward, still, always, but at least now, the cameras have gone even if the dreams haven't.  
"Peeta," she says, cautious.  
"Hi." I reply.  
Yes. We're brilliant. Then we just look at each other and then not at each other and then at each other again.  
"I was just...trading," she says.  
"Right," I nod, "I thought so." I pause, it seems lame to offer some of the food stuffs, but at the same time rude not to, but things, being as they are, "I have some--"  
"Bread?" she asks.  
I can't help but laugh, "No, for once, not bread."  
She laughs too, "Oh?"  
"Pastries, though, close."  
"Ah." She says.  
"Would you like to take some home? Or are you off to get more trade goods?"  
"I am off," she says.  
"No problem. I'll drop some off then before I make sure Haymitch is alive."  
She nods, "I'll check on him tomorrow," and she pats my arm, hesitant, and then reaches into the pack and takes a pastry to munch on as she leaves, with an even more hesitant wave, on the roundabout path she takes to get to the fence and then the woods outside the district.  
There's a sudden chill in my chest of danger and then Gale rounds at me from the shadow of the alleyway, "What are you playing at?" he demands, closing in. This time six months ago I would have been quaking but I stare him down.  
"What do you want?"  
"You promised me that was all just games talk and now you're trying to steal her away again."  
"Oh, for--" I roll my eyes, "She's not yours for me to steal besides, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm only here because of her and I'm grateful for that. How could I ever forget it? I'm not going to stop being nice just because the games are over." If only he knew. If only. Maybe he'll have a care how he words things to her. I can only imagine what Katniss would do to him if he tried to say she was his to her face.  
"Fine. Whatever." He storms off.  
I exhale slowly.  
"You're wrong."  
I jump. That one I didn't expect. Haymitch. Though that answers the if he's alive or not question.  
"So I should stop being nice?"  
He gives a cock-eyed smile, "That might not serve you too badly in some respects, kid; but the games aren't ever over."  
"But--" I don't want to rehash the train line right now anyway.  
"You'll see." He starts to turn but then he sniffs the air, "Were some of those for me?"


End file.
